"Climbing for the Status Quo: Symbols of Change and White Feminism in the Outdoor Industry"
In March of this year, Sasha DiGiulian, a prominent rock climber, posted a photo of herself with Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House. The caption read:
"I feel inspired by what VP Kamala Harris said to us — 'You may be the first to do many things, but make sure you aren't the last.' Cut against the grain. Break the norm. Live your authentic self, and surround yourself with people who support you as you are."
DiGiulian was invited to the White House along with hundreds of other athletes for an event organized by the Women's Sports Foundation to celebrate women in sports.
Attending an event at the White House while the President and Vice President are actively funding actions against Palestinians is beyond problematic it's immoral and heartless. This behavior doesn't exemplify "cutting against the grain" or "breaking the norm." DiGiulian has been criticized for her narrow view of feminism, as evidenced by another Instagram post from last December that reduced "empowerment" to being able to wear rock climbing shoes and heels simultaneously. This underscores the importance of not relying on celebrity culture to shape our moral compass. It also serves as a crucial reminder that being a woman doesn't make someone automatically a feminist.
If you’re invited to the White House it means your work isn’t threatening to the foundations of the oppressive institutions and structures we live within. It means you’re palatable and being palatable has never—and will never—create change. “Women supporting women” falls flat when someone's support of women doesn’t extend to women in Palestine, Congo, Sudan, and Black and Indigenous women here on Turtle Island who will be most harmed by the policies that Harris’ platform upholds.
As Ericka Hart said,
“I’m fascinated by a liberal’s love of symbolism over actual change. A rainbow flag instead of hiring queer and trans people. A Black national holiday instead of reparations. Y’all are really gagged about a cop. Someone that spent most of their life convincing everyone that we should have more prisons. Like...please miss me with the mess.”
Ascending to the most prominent, powerful, and authoritative position in our society can only be achieved by catering to the mindset, goals, desires, and values of what bell hooks aptly termed the "imperialist-white supremacist-capitalist-patriarchy" (may she rest in power).
“Climbing the ladder” isn’t a win for women, and it’s certainly not progressive. Those who “climb the ladder” can only do so because they fall in line with the status quo, not because they’re innovating, disrupting, or dismantling it.
DiGiulian continued in her Instagram post:
"It's not about getting to the top of the mountain alone, it's about charting a path so others can follow you up there. Sometimes it feels like women have a subconscious sense that there is one seat at the table for them ... let's collectively fight against that and lift each other up."
However, the metaphor of having a "seat at the table" falls short because the table itself is set for the agenda of ongoing settler colonialism. Those who push back against this agenda aren't invited to sit at that table. Instead, they're ostracized, shunned, and demonized—as we saw with the Democratic National Convention's refusal to allow a Palestinian American speaker to take the stage. DiGiulian exemplifies white feminism, where white women often prioritize symbols of change over actual, tangible progress. Her "seat at the table" in official settings doesn't reflect bold advocacy or dedication to a cause. Rather, it's a result of conforming to the status quo—and it certainly doesn't hurt that DiGiulian embodies beauty standards that align with white supremacist, capitalist, patriarchal ideals.
How many liberation leaders were invited to have "a seat at the table"? Were Angela Davis, James Baldwin, Malcolm X, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Assata Shakur—and the list goes on—invited to "the table"? No, because they were seen as threats to the Empire. Change and liberation won't come from supporting the imperial core. They'll come when we act in solidarity with oppressed people across the globe. When you have as much privilege as Sasha DiGiulian (or if you're a white woman in the so-called U.S.), it's our responsibility to wield it in ways that uplift and center those most oppressed and marginalized in our society and world.
What can you do right now to protest the genocides in Palestine, Congo, and Sudan?
Don’t get the new iphone.
Support the BDS Movement: boycott, divest, sanctions.
Protest. Educate. Donate.
DIVEST FROM CELEBRITY AND OPTICS OF CHANGE!
